Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-11-15
CoRWERs IN THE CHURCH.

A Brilliant Lecture by a Celebrated
Writer-DVight Hall Filled to Over
flowing.
The distinguished novelist and platform
orator, Mr.. George w. Cable, delivered the
first lecture last evening in the Yale Young
Mems Christian association course, choosing
for his subject "Cobwebs in the Church.
The main assembly room was filed to over
flowing with a select audience, composed of
the professors, tutors and undergraduates in
| the various departments of Yale university.
A few ladies were present. Probably Mr..
| Gable has never appeared before more Gull
| tured or deeply interested audience than that
| whose attention he kept SO closely for an hour
last evening. The author of several widely
| known Creole novels spoke in his usual at
tractive and pleasing manner. The gentle
| modulations of his musical voice charm and
attract the listener and accounts doubtless in
| no small degree for his great success on the
platform. The speaker found many points
| in the church and the everyday Christian
character dust and cobweb, the removal of
which would add much to the power and in
duence of the subject. Though at times
direct and forcible in his criticisms, he ever
| took care to uphold the honor and dignity of
| the church and to defend and maintain its
| influence for good. Among many other
| things Mr.. Gable said: Sentiment should be
guided by reason. We, too, frequently al
| low sentiment to steal out of bounds, to de-
fly and to dictate to reason. At
an early age we contract undue
| reverence for things not entitled to it. We
| lay sanctity on tradition. 1t is emphasized
| in relation with institutions and especially
| with the church. In the intangible institu
tions are chances for cobwebs unseen. Spiders
i III darknAa6
The thing is settl led that it is not of kind
we can wait for the world to warn us Of We
even transfer the sanctity we feel for the
church to the dust and cobwebs. This very
/ fact is one of the first cobwebs in the church.
There is resentment when we speak thus of
| dust and eobwebs in the church Excellence
commands respect and veneration. What
| ever is right to our young minds is right I'M
/ til it becomes intolerable to US. In theory
| we take pains not to assume infallibility
| anywhere and yet practically assume in rela-
| ton TO the church that she can do no wrong.
We confess that each and every one of
| US are sinners, and yet after we have confess
| ed that the church is the hospital for these
| erring ones We assume that whatever the
/ whole church says is right, leaving in obscur-
/ ity the dust and cobwebs that are shutting
| out the best of Gods revelations You are
about to become the men, the pillars of the
| church. We confuse two things, the Office
/ and the agent. It breeds in us an ecclesiasti-
/ cal self-righteousness Think of the things
| that ought to result from such false assump-
ton, all the more mischievous because I'M
| conscious. We need not go back into the
| ancient history of the church; America will
| show how mischievous this is. The Protest
| ant church to-day is before all powers re-
sponsible for the awful war fought concern
| ing slavery. Yet woe to that mind that
would point the finger of scorn and cavil
against that ancient institution. When
Professionalism brushed away the cobwebs, the
errors of the old Romish church, the spiders
were left and began anew to weave their
| webs. The false understanding of church
history is another cobweb.
The lecturer interspersed his remarks with
/ many bright and witty anecdotes, one of
which is here given: A little one in New
Orleans remarked, Sammy, when you got
any red on you must not go near the cows"
''Why nots' responded the valiant Sammy.
'Cause if you go near the COWS when you
got any red on they'll bite you" "Why,
that's funny, for some COWS are red them
selves, and yet they don't bite themselves"